Med Bag of Chips

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Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Barrel aged 12 months in American & French oak; rich flavors, oak spice, & vanilla smooth tannins.

Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at optimal ripeness (target Brix ~24–26). Sort and remove any underripe, diseased or moldy clusters. Destem the grapes and crush lightly to break skins while leaving some whole berries for structure.

Measure must (juice + skins) temperature and bring to 20–25°C (68–77°F) for preferable enzymatic activity.

Add pectic enzyme to the must at the recommended dosage (about 10 g per 100 kg) and mix thoroughly to improve extraction and clarification.

Add crushed Campden tablets (potassium metabisulfite) at 50–75 ppm to sanitize the must; wait 24 hours before inoculating with yeast to allow sulfite to dissipate to safe levels for fermentation.

If analysis shows low acidity, add tartaric acid (up to the indicated amount) to reach desired TA (target 5.5–7.0 g/L as tartaric acid equivalent). Adjust carefully and retest.

Add yeast nutrient to support a healthy fermentation (approximately 25 g per 100 kg must) and rehydrate/apply a red wine Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain following manufacturer instructions.

Transfer the prepared must to a fermentation vessel that allows cap management. Maintain fermentation temperature between 22–28°C (72–82°F) for Cabernet to extract color and tannins without overly harsh phenolics.

Punch down the cap 2–4 times daily or pump over gently once per day to keep skins wet and ensure even extraction. Monitor Brix/°Plato or specific gravity daily.

When sugars have dropped to approximately 3–5 Brix (near dryness but before full dryness), perform malolactic conversion management: either inoculate with malolactic bacteria or allow spontaneous MLF. MLF will soften malic acid into lactic acid and contribute to smooth tannins.

Press the fermenting must off the skins when desired phenolic extraction is achieved—typically after 7–14 days on skins for Cabernet, depending on vintage and desired style. Use a gentle press to collect free-run and press fractions separately if desired.

Rack the wine to a secondary vessel, top up to minimize headspace, and allow secondary (malolactic) fermentation to finish if not completed during primary. Keep temperature around 18–22°C (64–72°F).

Prepare a blend of American and French oak to achieve the target profile: use about 50% American oak (more pronounced vanilla and coconut characteristics) and 50% French oak (spice, cedar, finesse). For 100 kg grapes you can use 2 barrels of each type (or equivalent staves) as an example; adjust to desired oak intensity.

Transfer the finished ferment into the oak barrels for aging. Maintain cellar conditions at 12–16°C (54–61°F) with 60–75% relative humidity to control ullage and slow oxygen ingress.

Age in barrels for 12 months. Monitor wine regularly (every 1–3 months): top up barrels to minimize oxidation, taste for integration of oak, monitor free SO2, and rack as needed to remove lees or sediment.

If using oak staves or chips instead of all barrels, soak/toast and add at a controlled dose (e.g., 200 g total) in a neutral vessel or tank and allow contact for a portion of the maturation time, tasting periodically to reach the desired oak spice and vanilla notes.

After 12 months aging, sample the wine and perform bench trials for clarification. Add bentonite at the recommended rate (about 20 g per 100 kg equivalent) to aid protein stability and cold-stabilize if necessary.

If desired, use fining agents (gelatin or isinglass) in bench trials to soften tannins and improve clarity; follow appropriate dosages and allow settling time.

Filter or rack the wine carefully to remove fines and sediment. Check free and total SO2 and adjust to target levels for red wine protection (commonly free SO2 ~20–30 ppm depending on pH). If stabilizing chemically before bottling, add potassium sorbate as indicated (optional, not recommended if MLF continues).

Sanitize bottles, corks, and bottling equipment with a sulfite sanitizer solution. Fill bottles, leaving appropriate headspace, and cork. Optionally age in bottle for an additional 6–12 months to allow tannins and oak to integrate further.

This batch (100 kg grapes) yields approximately 75–80 liters of finished wine (about 100–106 × 750 ml bottles depending on losses). Expected bottles in this recipe: 133 (rounded for planning).

Serve Cabernet Sauvignon at 16–18°C (61–65°F) in large-bowled red wine glasses. Decanting for 30–60 minutes can open aromas and soften tannins. Cellar at 12–14°C, dark and humid conditions; drink within 2–10 years depending on vintage and style, though many good Cabernets will improve with longer aging.

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes (ripe)

Pectic enzyme

Campden tablets (potassium metabisulfite)

Yeast nutrient

Wine yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, red wine strain)

Tartaric acid (if needed)

Sugar (sucrose) — to adjust potential alcohol (optional)

Water (for adjustments, if necessary)

New American oak barrels (or medium plus toast cooperage)

French oak barrels (medium toast)

Oak staves or chips (alternative to barrels; blended)

Bentonite (cold-stabilization/clarification aid)

Finings (e.g., gelatin or isinglass) — optional

Potassium sorbate (for stabilizing before bottling, optional)

Wine bottles (750 ml)

Natural corks

Bottling grade sulphite solution (sanitizer)

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Make CABERNET SAUVIGNON Recipe in just 720h . Barrel aged 12 months in American & French oak; rich flavors, oak spice, & vanilla smooth tannins.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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